The Path to Better Gut Health

Developing a low FODMAP nutritional drink for people with digestive sensitivities.

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It all started with a map.

Can you imagine having to map every bathroom between your home and your office, or your office and your child’s school?

That’s exactly what one mom told the Nestlé Health Science Consumer Innovation team that she had to do, given the unpredictability of her digestive sensitivities. As Barbara McCartney, North American Consumer Care Business Head, puts it, “It was heart-breaking to hear how digestive sensitivities disrupted her daily life. Hearing her story was a big motivator for the team.”

The problem was clear: 80 million people1—one third of the US adult population—are living with digestive sensitivities. Digestive issues often have a major impact on the lives of sufferers, especially since it can be difficult to identify what foods will trigger irritation.

According to Jodi Mordekai, Senior Marketing Manager of ProNourish®, consumers often have a tough time knowing exactly what foods will set off their digestive sensitivities. “Consumers tell us that they never know when their next bout of gas, bloating, diarrhea or pain will hit. They are thinking about their digestive issues all of the time and this constant worrying ends up exhausting them,” says Mordekai.

Emerging clinical evidence provided a starting point for the development of a nutritional drink for people with digestive sensitivities. Specific types of carbohydrates called FODMAPs can have a direct link with some people’s digestive sensitivities.

What are FODMAPs?

FODMAPs is an acronym that stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides And Polyols. FODMAPs are a group of carbohydrates with the following traits:

Water and gas buildup can cause bloating, cramps, diarrhea and constipation. By following a low FODMAP diet, these digestive symptoms can be minimized in some people.

Creating the ProNourish® Nutritional Drink

The team focused on creating a low FODMAP nutritional drink that was delicious and consistent with the dietary advice provided by physicians and dietitians for people with digestive sensitivities. “We were excited to use the resources of Nestlé to create a nutritional drink that consumers would actually look forward to drinking,” says Mordekai.

ProNourish® Nutritional Drink was carefully formulated based on feedback from Monash University—the creators of the Low FODMAP diet—and an advisory board composed of expert GI dietitians, physicians and scientists. Additionally, the vitamins and minerals in the drink were specifically chosen to help fill nutritional gaps common in people following a low FODMAP diet. The end result was a delicious, nutritionally complete drink that fully complies with the Low FODMAP diet.

Watch MJ’s story

When her counselor suggested the Low FODMAP diet to curb her digestive sensitivities, MJ wasn’t sure where to start. She needed a breakfast snack that fit into her busy schedule as a working mom. That’s where ProNourish® Nutritional Drink came in.

The Low FODMAP ProNourish® Nutritional Drink is just the beginning. According to Rick Jentis, Global Head of Gut Health for Nestlé Health Science, “We have over a half dozen active projects in development, with the goal of providing consumers with a full range of nutritional solutions that can help them manage or avoid their digestive sensitivities.”